Building Trust in your Business Through Regular Emails and Blog Posts
I recently had a client ask me if there was really any point to him sending out emails that contained his blog content as he only had 100 subscribers on his email list. He didn’t think it was worth his time to send out an email to only 100 people and wanted to wait until his list was bigger.
My answer to him was simple – these 100 subscribers have all expressed interest in what he does just by joining his email distribution list. Staying in touch with these warm prospects – whether 1000, 100 or even only 10 – is a “no brainer,” especially since sending out marketing emails containing your existing blog content takes very little extra time.
Plus, by sending regular emails, you will stay top-of-mind for your subscribers, nurturing semi-warm prospects who are more likely to reach out to you when they are in need of your services.
So Why Send Out Content in an Email AND Post it to Your Blog?
While blogs are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and position you as an authority in your niche, sending an email that contains your latest blog post (or even a “teaser” paragraph) complements this strategy by establishing a one-on-one connection with your email subscribers. How?
1. Regular “touches”
Your email newsletter gives you a reason to stay in touch with prospects and clients. These regular “touches” with your prospects and past clients helps keep you top-of-mind. With regular marketing emails, you increase your chances of landing in their inbox at a time when they are ready to buy, and since you’ve been steadily building their trust in your expertise through past emails, they are more likely to buy from you than your competitor.
2. Natural, more effective promotion
Because you have regular contact with your email list, you can share more information – not just your blog posts – in a more natural and timely way. For instance, you can:
- Discuss ongoing events or news in your industry
- Promote your teleclasses, workshops, or webinars (or those of your trusted partners and affiliates)
- Share discounts or special offers to perk up sales during slow periods
- Address commonly asked questions, or specific reader questions, dispelling any of your prospects’ fears or doubts
- Highlight new products or services
- Offer special discounts and promotions exclusively to your email subscribers, building client loyalty to your business
An e-newsletter, in conjunction with your blog, allows you to bring your company’s personality to the forefront, building confidence and trust in you, your expertise, and your business. By taking the time to maintain a CONSISTENT relationship with your email list, your marketing emails become a great way to share new information and promote your business in a natural, unforced, and relaxed manner.
3. Keep clients and prospects coming back to your blog / website
While your email subscribers may have joined your email list from your blog, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will actively return to it. No matter how much they value the content you provide, they simply may not remember to return due to limited time and constant competition for their attention. Receiving your email reminds people that you have a blog filled with awesome information and encourages them to go to the blog itself and go back through your other posts.
It also gives them control over how they prefer to read your posts (i.e., by email, on your RSS feed, directly on your site, etc.). You build a stronger relationship with your site visitors when you give them options for how they can connect with you.
4. Different medium, same message
While your content will all be online (email format, on your blog, etc.), people often need to receive the same message in different ways before the information sinks in. In other words, let your clients and prospects have a variety of ways to read your content in order for them to better understand the information you are sharing. Also, because of the different layouts of the information and the number of times it is placed in front of them, your audience will take something different away each time they view your blog content.
5. Grow your email address list
People love to share great information with their friends and colleagues. By sending your blog post out in an email, you are providing an easy way for your clients and prospects to forward your content, and as a result, you blog site. This type of sharing grows your brand recognition and spreads confidence your expertise more quickly. Make sharing your information, expertise, and services as easy as possible for your subscribers, and your email list, no matter what size it is currently, will grow.
Email Marketing Doesn’t Have to Mean Extra Work
Sending out regular marketing emails doesn’t require extra work. The blog content you’re already creating can be sent out as the email content itself – whether you include the full content of your post as the full email, or simply put in an introductory paragraph and link back to the blog post for the rest of the article – along with other brief news useful to your readers such as special event dates, new promotions, or limited-time offers. Many email marketing services, including our Captivating Email, make this even easier by automatically sending out an email to your list every time you publish a new blog post.
Of course, don’t forget CAN-SPAM and the new CASL law when setting up and sending out emails to your email list. It is crucial that you send messages only to individuals who have consented (subscribed) to be on your email list.
To understand exactly how you can take advantage of an email list in conjunction with your blog, contact me. Really, the process is straightforward, easy to implement, and fairly headache free.
Have your own tips about why an email and blog have worked for you? I’d love to read them in the comments below!
Jennifer, thanks so much for speaking about the Can-Spam act. I find it so disconcerting to meet someone at a networking event, give them my card and end up on their list.
It’s especially bad when what they are selling has no relationship to my life or needs. People get very annoyed and hurt when they are told that the email is spam. I wish there were greater awareness about this issue.
I like networking but people get offended that I don’t want to be added to their list without my permission. Go figure!
Suzi
Really great points, Suzi! People do tend to take it very personally when you don’t automatically want to be added to their list. Understandable since we all work so hard to create fabulous content but as you say, not everyone offers info that fits with your current priorities and interests.
When you invite yourself into someone’s inbox without their permission, it can really put off the other person and sour a new relationship. Just consider asking permission a sign of respect and you’ll never go wrong.
Good post. I’m going through many of these issues as well..
Have you ever considered publishing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs?
I have a blog based on the same ideas you discuss and
would really like to have you share some stories/information. I
know my viewers would value your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot
me an e mail.